


lost in the dark

by carissima



Category: One Direction (Band), Radio 1 RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2015-03-09
Packaged: 2018-03-17 04:12:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3514886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carissima/pseuds/carissima
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Please come get me."</p>
            </blockquote>





	lost in the dark

**Author's Note:**

> so claire messaged me this morning about a drabble i'd written for tomlinshaw and asked me what happened next. so i guess an extra 3.5k later, this is what happens next?? i hope you like it!! <33

There’s no one left in his phone to call except for one number. Louis’ thumb hovers over the contact for a moment, before he swallows his utter disgust with himself and presses down.

"Hello?"

Louis’ startled by his voice, which is so completely stupid because he dialled his number. “Uh, hi. Um, Nick?”

"Yeah? Who’s this?" Nick sounds a bit off, like maybe he’d been sleeping. Louis glances at his watch and winces, because at 3am on a Saturday morning, he probably had been.

"Um, it’s Louis," he says, rolling his eyes at himself. "Louis Tomlinson."

There’s a long pause, before he hears Nick clear his throat. “Oh, um, what’s up, Louis Tomlinson? Any reason you’re calling me completely out of the blue in the middle of the night?”

Louis bites back a snarky retort, because Nick really is his last fucking option here, since Liam’s pissed and in bed, Niall’s in Ireland, Zayn’s disappeared as per fucking usual and Harry’s in the States. That’s the entire sum total of people who know things about Louis that he’d rather not have splashed across the front page of the tabloids and who could help him out. Hence his emergency call to Nick.

"I need your help," he says in a low voice. Which is the understatement of the fucking century. "Can you come get me?"

There’s another long pause, and Louis’ starting to think Nick’s hung up on him when he hears movement on the line. “Okay, popstar. I’ll play along. Where are you?”

Louis closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before he quietly murmurs the address down the phone. He knows the exact moment it registers with Nick where he is.

"Bloody hell, I’ll be there in twenty minutes," Nick says, suddenly sounding more awake, and curious, which Louis had expected but really, he just needs to get the fuck out of here and if he has to deal with Nick Grimshaw’s stupid questions and smug grins, then fine. He’ll deal with it. "Keep your head down and head for the back exit. There’s a storeroom where you can wait, it’s got an outside door. I’ll beep twice when I’m there."

God, Louis feels fucking sick and it's got nothing to do with the two beers he's had. “Yeah, okay,” he whispers, hating that Nick’s bearing witness to this. Hating himself for putting them both in this position.

"You’ll be fine, Louis," Nick tells him, a bit brusquely.

It’s weirdly comforting.

"Please come get me," Louis whispers, his voice breaking slightly as his hands start to shake.

"Twenty minutes," Nick says fiercely, then he’s gone and Louis’ left by himself, sitting on a fairly dubious looking toilet seat in the stalls of the men’s loos. He tucks his phone in his jeans pocket and takes a deep breath before he unlocks the door and steps out, keeping his head ducked down and his hand on the back of his neck. He’s pretty fucking good at keeping his face hidden with all the practice he’s had over the years and he manages to find the storeoom without anyone recognising him. His heart is pounding and he’s still silently berating himself for being so fucking stupid when he hears two sharp horn blasts.

He pushes the door open without a second thought and silently thanks Nick for pulling up on the passenger side. It's two steps before he’s in the car and he ducks down, Nick’s hand on his back as they drive out, passing a million flashing lights before they’re out on the road. Nick’s hand slips away and Louis sits up, his back uncomfortably ramrod straight.

"Thanks," Louis says gruffly. He chances a look at Nick, who seems to be fully focused on driving. A few minutes pass in total silence, and Louis just feels more and more uncomfortable. "So like, aren’t you going to take your shot at me then?"

Nick glances at him then, a measured look that has Louis looking away and staring out of the window with a mutinous expression. The thing is, he knows Nick’s got every right to. He’s come out in the middle of the night to help a friend of a friend and really, Louis knows he messed up. It's just pisses him off more.

"I bet you can’t wait to tell all your mates," Louis mutters, feeling more and more angry with himself for opening himself up to pot-shots from Nick fucking Grimshaw. "Or blab on the radio."

He can feel Nick looking at him but he doesn’t turn around. His face feels too hot and his head is all over the place.

"I’m pretty good at keeping secrets," Nick says quietly. "Well, other people’s, at least. Pretty shit at keeping my own."

"This is so fucked up," Louis murmurs, closing his eyes as he tilts his head back against the headrest.

"So you um, you want to talk about it then?" Nick asks, sounding a bit unsure. Louis’ never heard him sound unsure, not in all the times they’ve been in each other’s company or when Louis’ listened to his show. Not that Nick ever needs to know that Louis’ tuned in, once or twice or a million times. Whenever he’s in the country and conscious, really.

"Not really," Louis says flatly. But he opens his eyes and turns his head to look at Nick’s profile. "Went to a gay bar, realised there were paps swarming around outside because some other dickhead celebrities turned up and hid in the loos to call you. Not much else to say."

Nick’s mouth tightens, but he doesn’t turn to look at Louis, for which he’s grateful.

"How come you called me then?" Nick asks quietly. "I'm a bit of an odd choice."

"Everyone else is busy," Louis answers, his voice sounding a bit thin and reedy even to himself. "Everyone else who … knows, anyway."

"Knows that you’re gay?" Nick says, and there it is, Louis thinks dimly. There are the words, out in the open. Spoken by a member of the fucking press, and it might have been the stupidest move he’s ever made, asking Nick to come rescue him.

"Yeah," Louis says quietly, before he closes his eyes again and tries to pretend that Nick Grimshaw doesn’t know his deepest, darkest secret, that his heart isn't pounding in his chest.

He stays silent, his stomach churning and his mind whirling through all the possible outcomes of this night, right up until the car comes to a stop. Opening his eyes, he doesn’t recognise where the hell they are and he spins around to look at Nick questioningly.

"Where are we?" he asks, already sure of the answer.

"Mine," Nick says, confirming Louis’ fears. But he’s out of the car before Louis can demand to be taken home and he has no option but to follow. He follows Nick right into his place, letting the door swing behind them before he grabs Nick’s hand and forces him to swing back around.

"What the fuck are we doing here?" Louis asks, his heart still pounding. He refuses to look around. Refuses to notice anything about Nick’s flat.

"Thought we could have that chat," Nick says calmly. "Since I’ve just had to rescue you from possibly the biggest exclusive that could affect not only your life, but Harry’s and the rest of the boys. Not to mention everyone that works with you or for you if everything went to shit."

And yeah, it's not like Louis doesn’t know that. He’s well aware of what he risks every time he goes out to a club. A gay club. Which is why he does it so fucking rarely. But what comes out is a quiet “Fuck you.”

"Charming," Nick says with a roll of his eyes. "Look, I know it’s shit and everything, but you’ve got to be smart about it if you’re not planning to come out anytime soon, okay? Getting papped at a gay bar by yourself in London isn’t smart, Lou. It’s really fucking dumb.”

Louis stares up at Nick, taking in his flat, rumpled hair, the ratty Queens of the Stone Age t-shirt and the loose jogging bottoms he’s clearly either slept in or pulled on in a hurry. He banks down the frustrations of the night, the fact that he’d only gone out because he’s not had a shag in over a year, not even kissed a boy in ten months and that he’s had a stupid fucking crush on Nick fucking Grimshaw for well over two years now that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon.

"Just fucking shut up," Louis says, pulling on Nick’s hand until he stumbles closer, finding himself trapped neatly against the wall as Nick’s hand finds the wall to balance himself. Louis goes up on his tiptoes and presses his lips against Nick’s, terrified and shaking but fuck, he’s kissing a boy. He’s kissing _Nick_.

Except Nick isn’t kissing him back, and Louis pulls away, embarrassment flaming his cheeks bright red as he shoves at Nick’s chest, pushing him away. “Fuck,” he mutters, because isn’t that just like him, to take a bad situation and make it a million times worse?

"I need to go," he says, not sure if he’s telling Nick or himself but he needs to be a million miles away from Nick and this house right now.

He makes it as far as the door when Nick grabs him and spins him around and again he finds himself pinned up against something solid again. “How drunk are you?” Nick asks huskily and his gaze drops to Louis’ mouth.

"Sober," Louis says quietly, his eyes wide. He wants to hook his arms around Nick’s neck and tug him down for another kiss, but god, he’s scared. He’s fucking terrified that Nick won’t kiss him back again because he’s such a bloody fuck up.

"This is a terrible idea," Nick says, but he seems more amused than upset. Louis’ certainly not complaining when Nick’s hands slide around to cup his arse and drag him closer. "Probably the worst idea I’ve ever had."

Louis wants to say something smart and witty and cutting, but mostly he’s just desperately hoping that Nick’s going to kiss him and maybe let him rub one off against Nick's stupidly long thigh.

Nick leans down and kisses him, surprisingly gentle. Louis kisses him back before he whines helplessly into Nick's mouth. He’d almost forgotten how good it was to just fucking kiss someone. He’s achingly hard already and he’s a bit embarrassed about it but he’s just so fucking desperate to get the fuck off that he almost cries when Nick’s hand slides around to cup him through his jeans. “Such a terrible idea,” Nick repeats, before he slides Louis’ zip down and shoves his hands down Louis’ boxers.

"Shut the fuck up," Louis mutters roughly. He bites down hard on Nick’s lower lip before he sticks his tongue into Nick’s mouth.

He knows though. He knows that this is a terrible idea and it’s going to end badly one way or the other. But Nick’s got his hand on his dick and it feels fucking amazing, and that’s all he cares about tonight.

He’ll deal with everything else in the morning.

"We should slow down," Nick mutters against his mouth. But he doesn't pull his hand away from where it's slowly fisting Louis' dick and Louis swears Nick crowds him closer against the door.

"No," Louis says fiercely and he slides his hands up to tangle his fingers in Nick's hair. He tugs hard, pleased when Nick lets out a groan that goes straight to Louis' dick.

Nick kisses him again, and it's not gentle. This time, it's hungry and urgent. Louis drops his hands to Nick's shoulders and he scrambles for purchase on Nick's shirt, desperate and uncaring that Nick knows how needy he is.

"How long?" Nick asks, thumbing over Louis' slit and making him hiss as his hips rock up helplessly. Nick strokes him again and presses his lips against Louis' throat. Louis tilts his head up in invitation and Nick nips at his skin carefully.

"Months," Louis says, eyes closed as the wave of humiliation rolls over him. "Almost a year."

He can feel Nick shudder against him and Louis blindly seeks out his mouth, whimpering when he feels Nick's tongue fucking into his mouth, wet and filthy.

His dick starts leaking.

"God you're so pretty," Nick mutters and Louis whines, barely shaking his head. He's not pretty, not like this. He's desperate and needy and embarrassed. "Gonna make you come, yeah? In your pants?"

"Fuck yes," Louis hisses, and he leans his head back against the wall. He can feel Nick's eyes on him but he doesn't care. Not now. "You gonna watch then?"

"Yeah," Nick says hoarsely, and Louis' lips curve up in a smug smile but he keeps his eyes shut so he can concentrate on the feel of Nick's large, smooth hand jerking him off. "Gonna watch you fall apart and then I'm gonna do it all over again."

Louis doesn't even try to cover the shiver of anticipation that races through him. "Yeah," he says roughly. "Yeah, okay."

Nick's hand twists on an upstroke and Louis arches back against the wall. He's still got a hand in Nick's hair and Nick's other hand is on Louis' hip, keeping in right where Nick wants him. Louis' not surprised to find that he likes it.

"I mean, you deserve it, right?" Nick's talking and Louis can barely hear him as the blood rushes to his head and he's breathing heavily in time with Nick's hand movements. "Been so good, waiting all this time. Wanna make sure you come nice and hard for me."

Louis' pretty sure he doesn't deserve this at all. It's more than anything he'd ever wanted to have Nick's hands on him, coaxing him towards a heart-pounding orgasm with promises for more later, but he's in no position to argue it.

"Mark me," Louis breathes and his eyes blink open, confused and surprised by how much he wants it. He wants something tangible to hold onto when he's back at home and this seems like a fucking dream.

Nick stills for a moment and the only sound in Nick's hallway is their ragging breathing. Louis refuses to look away though, silently pleading with Nick to just fucking bruise him a little. To make him feel wanted and needed. To remind himself that this was real, if only for an hour or two.

Then Nick's hand moves on Louis' dick and it's a bit sloppier this time as Nick ducks down and mouths at the curve of Louis' shoulder. "Here?" he murmurs into Louis' skin.

"Higher," Louis stammers out, his grip on Nick's hair tightening.

Nick breathes against Louis' neck, making him shiver. "Here?" he asks again at the base of Louis' throat.

"Higher," Louis pleads. He can feel Nick grinning against his neck and Louis has to bite back a shaky moan.

Nick nips the skin just under his jaw. "Here?"

Louis nods, unable to speak and he whimpers loudly as Nick's teeth sink into warm, tender skin. Nick's fist is working over his dick harder and harder and when Nick bites down hard, Louis comes with a loud cry, soaking his boxers as Nick massages him through his orgasm until it almost hurts, and he weakly pushes Nick's hand away. Nick's still mouthing at his neck though and Louis' probably sporting the largest, ugliest love bite he's ever had.

Louis manages a smile as he buries his face into Nick's shoulder, falling forward and letting Nick take his weight.

He's a bit surprised that Nick's able to hold him up, since Nick looks a bit like a tall weed sometimes.

"Enjoy the show then?" Louis asks with a little less bite than he'd aimed for. He's still panting into Nick's shoulder and probably drooling all over Nick's old t-shirt.

"Yeah," Nick says, and he sounds like he's in pain. "Reckon you needed that."

"Alright, I might be a bit rusty but you don't have to rub it in," Louis mutters. Feeling challenged, his hands are already ghosting down over Nick's hips and dipping into the waistband of his joggers. He closes his hand around Nick's dick, pleased to find Nick's already leaking. For him.

He drops down to his knees elegantly and buries his face into the soft cotton of Nick's joggers. He breathes in slowly before he tugs Nick's joggers down, fighting a grin when Nick eagerly steps right out of them. Nick's dick is straining against his boxers, a wet spot growing slowly against the ridiculous hot pink material and Louis can't stop himself from trailing his hands up Nick's long legs until he reaches up to pull Nick's boxers down.

"You're overdressed, love," Nick murmurs and Louis looks up to find Nick studying him carefully. Shrugging, Louis whips his shirt over his head and lets it fall to the floor, tangling with Nick's discarded clothes. Then he wriggles out of his jeans and it's not sexy but when Louis glances up, Nick's staring at the white stains on Louis' grey boxers with parted lips and a flush on his pale cheeks.

He shuffles back between Nick's spread legs and leans in close enough to breathe in Nick's scent, thick with arousal. Another glance up and Nick's hand cups Louis' cheek. His thumb rubs over Louis' lips gently and Louis' tongue flicks out to wet them.

"What do you want, Louis?" Nick asks finally. He's searching Louis' face but Louis doesn't know what he's looking for, and he's a bit scared that Nick won't find it.

"Your dick," Louis says, trying to keep his voice light. But when he looks at Nick's cock, fat and hard and throbbing for him, Louis' pretty sure Nick can see the pure hunger on his face. He hasn't had this in so long and fuck, he needs it.

"Go on then, Lou," Nick murmurs softly, his hand sliding up into Louis' hair and guiding him carefully forward.

Louis opens wide and lets Nick push into his mouth. He remembers to breathe through his nose but he still almost chokes when Nick pushes in further. He shakes his head when Nick looks like he's going to pull out.

"If I fuck your mouth, this is gonna be over really fucking quick," Nick mutters.

Louis can only imagine what he looks like, a cock-hungry popstar on his knees for Nick, his lips stretched wide around Nick's dick and urging him to be a bit rough. Louis blinks up at him.

"I can fuck your mouth, or I can fuck you," Nick says bluntly, although Louis' watching him close enough to see the flicker in his eyes when he says 'you'.

Reluctantly, Louis pulls off although he flicks out his tongue to catch a drop of Nick's precome. Then he smears it over his own lips, pleased when Nick groans loudly.

Then Louis' being pulled up and Nick's pushing him gently towards his bedroom, his fingers digging in a bit harder than necessary but neither of them mention it. Louis barely has a second to register how cosy and soft Nick's bedroom looks before Nick's grabbing something from the bedside table drawer and Louis falls onto the bed, his legs falling open wantonly before he hitches his knees up and tilts his hips towards Nick in invitation.

"Fuck," Nick mutters, sounding wrecked as he fumbles the bottle of lube and squirts far too much into his hand.

Louis laughs, delighted to have knocked Nick off balance and Nick hushes him by pushing his non-lubricated fingers into Louis' mouth to distract him.

It works too well.

Louis moans filthily around Nick's long, elegant fingers as Nick slowly opens him up. He's careful and methodical and his fingers are ridiculously clever. When Louis can barely breathe with how much he wants Nick inside of him, he reaches up and drags Nick down for a sloppy, wet kiss.

"Fuck me Nick, please," he breathes, and Nick makes an odd little noise before he scrambles to his feet and grabs a condom from the drawer, rolling it on slowly and slicking himself up. Louis watches with hungry eyes and parted lips.

"You want it slow?" Nick asks when he crawls back between Louis' legs and noses at his jaw.

"No," Louis says sharply, before he closes his eyes and breathes in and out. "Maybe. Just at first though. S'been a while."

"Okay," Nick murmurs.

He pushes in achingly slowly and Louis breathes in deeply as he feels Nick filling him up.

"Okay?" Nick asks when he's bottomed out, holding himself up on his elbows as Louis forces himself to open his eyes.

"Yeah," Louis says shakily. He manages a smile, and then he rolls his hips slowly, grinning when Nick inhales sharply. "Yeah, you can fuck me now, Nick. No going slow."

"Whatever you want, Lou," Nick murmurs.

The first thrust is hard enough that Louis whimpers and reaches out to grab Nick's sheets for something to hold onto.

"Harder," he says, urging Nick on.

Louis comes all over himself with a broken cry as Nick fucks into him, shaking and hot and slick with sweat. Nick keeps thrusting into him while Louis lies pliant underneath him, breathing hard and eyes locked onto his.

When Nick comes, it's with Louis' name on his lips. Louis can feel Nick pulsing inside of him and he's half-hard again just at the sensation. When Nick can lift himself up, he pulls out and stands up on unsteady legs, disposing of the condom and walking back towards Louis with a wet cloth to clean him up. It's oddly intimate having Nick Grimshaw clean come off his skin but Louis lets him, too tired and too fucked out to think of anything to say.

He's half-expecting Nick to offer to get him a taxi and kick him out, so it's a surprise when Nick pulls the covers out from underneath him and climbs into bed next to him.

"Reckon you must be exhausted," Nick says around a yawn. A quick glance shows how tired Nick looks, and Louis immediately feels a sharp flash of guilt deep in his belly. "Haven't had a good fuck in ages. Was right nice, Lou, yeah?"

And the thing is, Louis' not entirely sure when Nick started shortening his name like they're old mates or something more than the acquaintances but it warms him inside, and makes him pliant enough to not say a word when Nick curls around him, one long leg thrown over his own and an arm draped over his body almost possessively. His now-soft dick is pressed against Louis' arse and Louis' never slept with a boy naked in the same bed. His partners have been more of the fuck-and-leave variety.

"Goodnight, popstar," Nick murmurs drowsily. His breath tickles against Louis' neck.

"Goodnight, Nick," Louis whispers. He slots his fingers between Nick's and lets out a long, tired sigh before he closes his eyes and falls asleep.

*

Louis wakes up to the muted sound of a radio. Blinking blearily, he lifts his head to find Nick across the room, dressed with damp hair. Louis must make a noise or movement because Nick glances back at him, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"Morning," he says brightly, while Louis' mouth feels like its full of cotton balls. "Reckon you're up to that talk now then?"

Louis grabs a pillow and throws it half-heartedly at Nick. "Can't we just pretend that last night didn't happen?" he grumbles, falling back against the bed and closing his eyes.

"Well we can," Nick says slowly, and it sounds like he's coming closer, "but I'd prefer we didn't."

The mattress dips and Louis looks up to find Nick sitting next to him, head tilted as he keeps his gaze steady on Louis.

"I mean, the evening definitely took a few turns I wasn't expecting," Nick says with a smile that Louis could almost call shy if it was on anyone else. "But I enjoyed it. A lot."

"Bet you're already writing this chapter of your autobiography," Louis says softly enough that Nick's smile turns into a grin. "The night I fucked a boybander."

"Could probably come up with a catchier title," Nick muses before he ducks down and presses a quick kiss to Louis' surprised lips. "I'll make tea, yeah? You can use the shower and borrow some clothes if you like. But we're going to have that chat, popstar, alright?"

Nick stands up and disappears out of the room, leaving Louis to stare up at the ceiling.

Twenty minutes later, he's sitting in Nick's kitschy kitchen with a steaming mug of tea, dressed in joggers than he's had to roll up at the waist and cuff, and a jumper with sleeves long enough to cover his hands. Nick's sat opposite him and there's a tense silence settling between them.

"Let's start easy, yeah?" Nick says. "Why'd you have my number then?"

"Harry put it in my phone about a year ago." Louis remembers, because he'd spent forever with his thumb hovering over the delete button but he'd never been able to go through with it. "Said you were a good listener. I think you're Harry's gay guru or something daft."

Nick smiles at that, a soft smile that Louis thinks he probably reserves for Harry. He's seen it on enough faces by now, even if he keeps his own Fond Harry Face locked up for private moments these days.

"I would have, you know," Nick says quietly. His hand lifts off the table for a moment before it drops back down uselessly. "If you'd needed to talk. I could have helped. It's not easy, bottling it all up."

"I'm not," Louis says quickly before he takes a sip of tea. Nick's made it just the way he likes it and Louis can't even resent him for it like he wants to. "The lads know. All of them. I can talk to them."

"Yeah, and I'm sure they're great," Nick assures him. This time, Nick reaches over to cover Louis' hand lightly. Louis studies the size difference, his own hand hidden by Nick's enormous paw.

"Yeah," Louis says on a sigh. On an impulse, he turns his hand over so they're palm to palm against the hard wood of Nick's table and lacing their fingers together.

Louis feels a bit like throwing up.

"So what now?" Nick asks quietly.

"I guess I stop hanging out in gay clubs while I'm still riding the coattails of my bandmates," Louis says with a hollow laugh.

He very deliberately doesn't look up.

"I should go, though," Louis says and he pulls his hand away. "I've messed up your weekend enough, and you've probably got loads of important things to do, like hang out with your famous mates."

"Louis," Nick says, and it sounds like a warning.

Louis doesn't do well with warnings. He gets to his feet, feeling awkward and uncomfortable.

"I'll wash these clothes and send them back," Louis says, moving towards the door. He grabs his own clothes from the stairs and slips his feet into his Vans. "Thanks for lending them to me. And I guess I'll see you around, yeah? Thanks for everything, Nick. I owe you big time. Probably Harry too, for putting your number in my phone." Fuck, he's rambling.

"Well, you can always call me or text, if you need anything else," Nick says. His hand drops onto Louis' shoulder and Louis shuts his eyes for a brief second before he's moving away and reaching out for the doorknob.

"Yeah," Louis says, but he knows he won't call. "See you around, Nick."

"Goodbye, Louis."

*

Two weeks later, Louis' back in the club loos, but this time he's on his knees with Nick's cock in his mouth.

"So fucking stupid," Nick's muttering as he fucks slowly into Louis' eager mouth. His thumb rubs carefully against Louis' roughened cheek, feeling his own dick stretching Louis' beautiful mouth. "Gonna get caught."

Louis' eyes brighten and he opens his throat a little more, urging Nick forward with his hands on Nick's hips.

"God I'm gonna come all over your face," Nick mutters as he fucks shallowly into Louis' wet, warm mouth. "Gonna mark you just the way you like."

Louis moans around his dick and Nick's heart pounds in his chest.

He licks his come off Louis' face and lets Louis stroke him off in his jeans. And Louis wakes up in Nick's bed.

*

Two nights later, on a fucking work night, Louis grinds up against Nick in the club, rubbing his dick against Nick's arse. Nick blows him in Nick's car and Louis wakes up halfway through Nick's show to find Pig lying next to him on the bed.

"Don't think you're allowed up here," Louis murmurs as he cuddles her closer, huffing out a laugh when Pig's cold nose rubs against his cheek. "I won't tell if you don't, though."

*

Louis' phone rings when he's in rehearsals. He sees Nick's name flash up and he sneaks out of the room.

"Hey," he says when he answers. "You're interrupting important boyband business, so this better be important."

"Like when you called last week during my show and demanded that I play One Direction's greatest hits?" Nick says dryly.

Louis grins. "Exactly. Like I said, this better be important."

"Well, I was thinking that since you've slept at my place for the past nine nights, and we've been fucking around for the last month, we should probably go on a date."

Louis' glad Nick's not doing this in person, otherwise he'd see the grin Louis can't seem to fight and he'd know. He'd fucking _know_.

"Lou?"

"Yeah," Louis says huskily. He clears his throat and tries again. "Someplace nice though, Nick. I'm classier than a Nandos and a bit of bowling, you know."

"No you're not," Nick says immediately, and Louis laughs. He drops down onto the floor and leans his back against the wall and presses the phone as close to his ear as he can. "But yeah, I can probably do something a bit nicer than Nandos."

"I wanna be wined and dined, Nick," Louis says. He takes a deep breath. "I mean, since this is my first date with a boy."

"Lou," Nick says softly and Louis drops his chin onto his knees and smiles at the ground. "Guess I should pop to Waitrose then and pick you up some flowers."

"You're a fucking romantic, Grimmy," Louis says, delighted.

"Yeah, a total sap. That's me," Nick says lightly. "Be home by seven, yeah?"

"Yeah alright, I'll text you if I'm held up," Louis says, before they hang up.

Louis pockets his phone, a smile still playing on his lips as he heads back into the rehearsal room.

"Oi oi, lads, what did I miss then? Let's get this show on the road because I've got a hot date lined up tonight!"


End file.
